The Night Before
by foxmagic
Summary: Grim Grimoire Lillet/Bartido. It began with a small, steady hope, and the determination to succeed. Again, the night before starts. One-shot.


A Grim Grimoire fanfiction!

Author: foxmagic

Rating: PG/T

Pairing: Bartido/Lillet

Disclaimer: I don't own.

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_Begin_

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The night before…

Again.

Truthfully, she felt somewhat bad about laying in bed, trying to get what little sleep was possible before the next few days.

Again.

And then what if it was all for naught? What if she was doomed to repeat this vicious cycle for eternity, no matter how hard she tried to undo the past? No, that just wouldn't do. She was the only one who could fix this now -giving up wasn't an option. Even if it _did _take an eternity.

Lillet covered her face with a pillow, muffling the fear and apprehension that came along with every first night back in time. She would often lay awake, thinking things like -will this time be any different? Which course do I take now? Who do I talk with first, and do I even tell anyone at all?

_What if…this time around, I don't go back in time? What if I'm killed too?_

But then she would stuff her face in her pillow, and hold her breath until all those unnecessary thoughts were shoved into the back corner of her mind. Because that sort of thinking would only lead to a lifetime of first nights and five days. Sleep came now, and worrying later. Yes, definitely later.

She could count the occurrences one by one. Gaff's tale of the witch's ghost, Margarita rushing in to say goodnight, even Opalneria's meeting with Lujei. Everything had its place and purpose, despite how hard she tried to change it. The outcome was always the same.

They would all end up dead by the fifth day.

A sound escaped her lips before she realized it -some sort of muffled cry, caught against the wet pillow. She hadn't realized that she was crying until now.

For someone who had prided herself on being so strong, she sure as hell felt so damn weak. A powerful wizard -no, any _decent _wizard would have figured out the solution by now. Why wasn't she getting it? Why? What was she missing…

It was hard to do things alone, after all. Even harder with so much riding on your shoulders.

"What should I…" Lillet began shakily. "What…"

"What's with the racket? You _want _to attract the witch's ghost?"

Her head shot up, eyes red and bloodshot as they strained to focus in the darkness. But there was no need to see, really. She could recognize that voice anywhere.

"Bartido…"

"I don't usually make a habit of breaking and entering, but you left your door open. I could hear the sobbing from down the hall."

Frozen by those words, she sat rigid. What? Left the door open? That hadn't been planned…no, she had certainly never done that before.

"S-Sorry for disturbing you." She offered, and then uttered a small squeak when he slammed her bedroom door shut.

Bartido stood listening. "She's making her rounds again."

"Oh…how did you make it down the hall?"

He smiled at her in the moonlight. "Years of the same old routine. Any senior here would know how."

"Well, it was quite rude of you to enter my room anyhow. Ghost or not."

"I also happen to think it rude to let said ghost steal away the innocent new student."

"It's Lillet Blan." She let a small smile slip out, then held up her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Again. And again and again, till the entire bloody thing was over with.

But there was something nostalgic about this time -mixed with the sharp twang of her heart, knowing that she could recognize all these people, could tell them their fears and desires, which grimoire was their branch of choice, how well they fought in battle…

And yet, they couldn't remember a thing about her. That was the one thing that would never change, even if she managed to somehow save them all.

He took her hand, shaking it in greeting with that oh-so-familiar devilish grin spread across his face.

"Bartido Ballentyne. Remember that name."

She didn't suppose that she'd have a problem doing that anymore.

His hand moved atop her head, placing a comforting weight as he spoke. "I don't know why you were crying." He said, almost too quietly. "But the Lillet I know…doesn't let anything dampen her fighting spirit."

Eyes widening, she wriggled around to look at him -to catch a glimpse of his expression. Could it be possible that he remembered? That maybe…just maybe she had really…

"What did you say?" She asked.

"I said: _don't leave your door open anymore_. Man, you're more stupid than I thought."

And just like that, his hand was gone.

She watched him leave, hearing the click of the door as it was closed firmly this time. A smile rose, unbidden, curling the edges of lips previously wet with tears. She would try again. And again and again, till she got it right.

This Lillet would not give up. For Bartido, for all of them-

She would win.

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FIN

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End file.
